Gonzaga was ‘extremely supportive’ in WCC adding Seattle U, Grand Canyon

WCC commissioner Stu Jackson said Gonzaga has “always behaved as a true and invested partner in the WCC” throughout rumors of a potential move to Big 12

The West Coast Conference is headed into uncharted territory after the league added Grand Canyon and Seattle U starting in 2025. The additions bring the league to 11 full-time members, the most in its 71-year history, on top of having two former Pac-12 schools in Washington State and Oregon State join as two-year affiliate members. 

Given the amount of change within the conference and the general state of college athletics, it was fair to wonder how the next wave of conference realignment would impact Gonzaga’s future with the WCC. The Bulldogs have been in back-and-forth conversations with the Big 12 for the past two years. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark sees value in Mark Few’s basketball program, though the lack of football and the Big 12’s latest expansion has member schools wanting to hold off on adding the Bulldogs.

While he admitted that he wasn’t surprised other conferences have courted the Zags over the years, WCC commissioner Stu Jackson was reassuring in saying that Gonzaga is still an invested member of the WCC.

“I will say on Gonzaga 's behalf they have always behaved throughout the rumors, and the speculation about their departure, they have always behaved as a true and invested partner in the WCC,” Jackson said during a press conference Friday. “And also throughout this process, as we've added members, they have been extremely supportive.”

After months of speculation and rumors, it appears Gonzaga to the Big 12 isn’t happening any time soon. CBS Sports reported that Grand Canyon and Seattle “probably solidifies” the Bulldogs’ membership with the WCC for now. Also worth noting in the report, the Big 12 did not discuss Gonzaga at last week’s meeting in Phoenix, Arizona.

Gonzaga to the Big 12 regained traction in the fall when the two sides resumed discussions about the possibility of the school joining as early as 2024. That soft deadline was a little ambitious as the league was still trying to figure out how it was going to operate with Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah joining next fall. Still, a report from Front Office Sports stated the Bulldogs had “overwhelming support” from Big 12 school presidents and athletic directors. Yormark said that expansion was not imminent during the Big 12 women’s basketball media day.

Talks from both sides stalled in December and haven’t picked up much since. It was thought that Big 12 leaders could possibly vote on the matter at a meeting during Thanksgiving week, though nothing came out of it. 

CBS Sports also reported that Washington State and Oregon State are unlikely to remain in the WCC once their two-year affiliation expires in 2026. Jackson said he didn't consider that "breaking news."

"Having that two year grace period as granted by the NCAA lends itself to the fact that within those two years, [WSU and Oregon State] will probably figure out where they will land from a football standpoint and most likely take many of their Olympic sports with them," Jackson said. "That being said, we don't know what the future holds. We don't know where Oregon State and WSU will land. We will remain with open arms should they decide that keeping their sports with the WCC is where they want to be."